Korean War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Part of the Cold War and the inter-Korean conflict

Clockwise from top: A column of the U.S. 1st Marine Division's infantry and armor moves through Chinese lines during their breakout from the Chosin Reservoir • UN landing at Incheon harbor, starting point of the Battle of Incheon • Korean refugees in front of a U.S. M46 Patton tank • U.S. Marines, led by First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez, landing at Incheon • F-86 Sabre fighter aircraft

Date	25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (3 years, 1 month and 2 days)
Location	Korean Peninsula, Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, Korea Strait, China–North Korea border
Result	Military stalemate North Korean invasion of South Korea repelled Subsequent U.S.-led United Nations invasion of North Korea repelled Subsequent Chinese invasion of South Korea repelled Korean Armistice Agreement signed in 1953 Korean conflict ongoing
Territorial changes	Korean Demilitarized Zone established North Korea gains city of Kaesong but loses a net total of 3,900 km² (1,500 sq mi) to South Korea

The Korean War was a big fight between North Korea and South Korea. It lasted from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. North Korea had help from China and the Soviet Union. South Korea was supported by the United Nations, especially the United States.

The war started when North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25, 1950. This happened after some smaller fights along their border.

Why the Korean War Started
- Korea's Division After World War II
- The Invasion of South Korea
Key Events of the War
What Happened After the War
Related pages
Images for kids
See also

Why the Korean War Started

Korea's Division After World War II

After World War II, Korea was split into two parts. This happened in 1948 because of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. The border was set at the 38th parallel.

North Korea became a socialist state. It was led by Kim Il-sung, who believed in Communism. South Korea became a capitalist state. It was led by Syngman Rhee, who was against communism.

Both governments believed they should rule all of Korea. Neither side accepted the border as permanent. This disagreement led to many problems.

The Invasion of South Korea

The fighting grew much worse on June 25, 1950. North Korean soldiers, called the Korean People's Army, crossed the border. They quickly moved into South Korea. The Soviet Union and China supported this invasion.

The United Nations Security Council decided to act. They created the United Nations Command. This group sent forces to Korea to stop the North Korean invasion. Twenty-one countries helped the UN force. The United States provided about 90% of the soldiers.

Key Events of the War

Soldiers near the Naktong River during the war.

UN forces landing at Incheon.

North Korea's Early Success

June 25, 1950: North Korea invaded South Korea. They quickly took control of most of the country. The South Korean army had to retreat to a city called Busan.

UN Forces Fight Back

July 1950: The United Nations army arrived to help South Korea. They landed at Incheon, a port city. From there, they fought the North Korean army. They pushed them back past the border. UN forces even went deep into North Korea, close to the Chinese border. This was near the Yalu River.

China Joins the Fight

October 1950: China became worried about the war being so close to its border. They warned the UN and South Korean armies to go back to the border. China said they had no right to fight so far into North Korea.
The UN forces, led by American General Douglas MacArthur, ignored China's warning.
So, the Chinese army, called the People's Liberation Army, entered North Korea. They helped the North Koreans push the UN forces back. The UN forces were pushed past the border again.
During this time, new American fighter jets, the F-86 Sabre, arrived in Korea. They were needed because older American planes were struggling against the Soviet-made MiG-15 jets.

Peace Talks Begin

February 1951: Fighting continued until the front lines became stable. Neither army was deep inside the other country. This led to the start of peace talks.
April 11, 1951: General Douglas MacArthur was removed from his command. This happened because he made public statements that went against the US government's plans.

The Armistice Agreement

March 1951 - July 27, 1953: Peace talks continued for a long time.
On July 27, 1953, an armistice was signed. An armistice is an agreement to stop fighting. It is not a full peace treaty.
The agreement created the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This is a special area that separates North and South Korea. It also allowed prisoners of war to return home.
No peace treaty was ever signed. This means North and South Korea are technically still at war. It is a "frozen conflict."
In April 2018, the leaders of North and South Korea met. They agreed to work towards a treaty to officially end the war.

What Happened After the War

The Korean War had many important results for the countries involved.

Country	Good Things	Bad Things
USA	Stopped communism from spreading. Greece and Turkey joined NATO. Showed they would stand up to communism.	Was seen as too aggressive by some countries.
UN	It was the UN's first big success in stopping an invasion.	Showed that sometimes force was needed, not just talks.
Both Koreas	North Korea made a treaty with China. South Korea remained a capitalist country.	Many people died, and much property was destroyed. The country remained divided.
China	The war helped unite the country. It also made its leaders look strong.	Relations with the Soviet Union became worse. China was not allowed in the UN Security Council for a while.
USSR	North Korea stayed communist. They could test their air force against the US.	Relations with China became worse. They spent a lot of money on the war.

Cold War

Images for kids

Territory often changed hands early in the war, until the front stabilized. Chinese and communist forces (Soviet Union) North Korean forces South Korean, US and United Nations forces
Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans fled south in mid-1950 after the North Korean army invaded.
A U.S. howitzer position near the Kum River, 15 July
Man of the Year, the American soldier on Time magazine cover, 1951
G.I. comforting a grieving infantryman
M24 Chaffee light tanks of the US Army's 25th Infantry Division wait for an assault of North Korean T-34-85 tanks at Masan
Crew of an M-24 tank along the Nakdong River front, August 1950
Pershing and Sherman tanks of the 73rd Heavy Tank Battalion at the Pusan Docks, Korea.
General Douglas MacArthur, UN Command CiC (seated), observes the naval shelling of Incheon from USS Mount McKinley, 15 September 1950
Combat in the streets of Seoul
US Air Force attacking railroads south of Wonsan on the eastern coast of North Korea
Soldiers from the US 2nd Infantry Division in action near the Ch'ongch'on River (20 November 1950).
A column of the US 1st Marine Division move through Chinese lines during their breakout from the Chosin Reservoir.
Map of the UN retreat in the wake of Chinese intervention.
B-26 Invaders bomb logistics depots in Wonsan, North Korea, 1951
US Marines move out over rugged mountain terrain while closing with North Korean forces.
British UN troops advance alongside a Centurion tank, March 1951
US M46 Patton tanks, painted with tiger heads thought to demoralize Chinese forces
New Zealand artillery crew in action, 1952
Men from the Royal Australian Regiment, June 1953
Delegates sign the Korean Armistice Agreement in P'anmunjŏm.
A U.S. Army officer confers with South Korean soldiers at Observation Post (OP) Ouellette, viewing northward, in April 2008
The DMZ as seen from the north, 2005
Korean War memorials are found in every UN Command Korean War participant country; this one is in Pretoria, South Africa.
A soldier of the Dutch detachment of the UN forces in North Korea prepares to return sniper fire, 1952
To disrupt North Korean communications, USS Missouri fires a salvo from its 16-inch guns at shore targets near Chongjin, North Korea, 21 October 1950
A B-29 Superfortress bomber dropping its bombs
A US Navy Sikorsky HO4S flying near USS Sicily
Pyongyang in May 1951
A USAF Douglas B-26B Invader of the 452nd Bombardment Wing bombing a target in North Korea, 29 May 1951
Mark 4 bomb, seen on display, transferred to the 9th Bombardment Wing, Heavy
Bob Hope entertained X Corps in Korea on 26 October 1950.
The Korean Peninsula at night, shown in a 2012 composite photograph from NASA
North Koreans touring the Museum of American War Atrocities in 2009